This is such a wonderful combination of sweet and savory...found this recipe last summer while attending a progressive dinner party and we were hooked making it over and over again...

• Strawberry and Spinach Salad
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, 
• 1 pint strawberries, ends trimmed and quartered
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (or you could use Walnuts too)
• 1/4 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette

My Mom's Asparagus

Growing up, mom would make asparagus for just her and I...my Dad and brother did not like it, and I always felt special when she would make this just for us to share...

1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/4 c. milk

1 tea. butter

12 saltine crackers, crushed

salt and pepper to taste

Add chopped asparagus to a small saucepan with just enough water to steam the asparagus.  Cook until just tender, add milk and butter serve immediately over crushed saltines. 

Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
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1. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork in several places. Microwave on High until tender all the way to the center, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place in a baking dish and bake at 425 degrees F until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour.)
2. Meanwhile, in a medium microwaveable bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, oil, cumin, coriander and salt; microwave on High until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, heat in a small saucepan over medium heat.)
3. When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and spoon the bean mixture into the well. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

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• Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff

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• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 8 ounces dried egg noodles

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  Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
  2. At the same time, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring until softened. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are limp and browned. Remove to a bowl, and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, stir in vegetable broth, being sure to stir in any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has reduced by 1/3. Reduce heat to low, and return the mushrooms and onion to the skillet.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat, stir together the sour cream and flour; then blend into the mushrooms. Return the skillet to the burner, and continue cooking over low heat, just until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked egg noodles.
  
  
  
  

  Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

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  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 5 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 1 cup sliced rhubarb

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    Directions

    1. Combine sugar, orange juice, cornstarch, and vanilla in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add strawberries and rhubarb; reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mash the cooked berries with a fork. Stir in food coloring, if using. Serve warm or cold.

  
  

  
  

  Asparagus and Shrimp Risotto

  
  

  

  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  1 teaspoon chopped shallot
  ¼ pound asparagus, cooked and cut in 1-inch pieces
  ¼ cup risotto rice
  1 cup dry white wine
  ¼ cup cooked shrimp
  4 cups chicken stock
  ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  
  

  Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Add shallots and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus and cook another minute.
  2. Add risotto and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add wine to saucepan; continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring to prevent sticking.
  3. Gradually add chicken stock, ¼ cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding stock and cooking down until all stock has been added.
  4. Add shrimp and stir gently for 2 minutes. Add cheese and parsley, stir, and serve.

   Lemon Cloud with Strawberry-Mint Compote

Cloud:

·         Cooking spray 

·         3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch

·         1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 

·         6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

·         2 large egg yolks 

·         4 large egg whites 

·         Dash of salt

Compote:

·         2 cups quartered small strawberries 

·         2 tablespoons sugar 

·         1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1.     To prepare cloud, preheat oven to 350°.

2.     Lightly coat a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar, shaking out excess. Place dish on a baking sheet.

3.     Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Stir in lemon rind, juice, and egg yolks. Place over medium heat; cook for 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; immediately scrape mixture into a glass bowl. Cool to room temperature.

4.     Place egg whites and salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 30 seconds or until foamy. Increase mixer speed to high. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating just until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon into prepared dish. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven, and cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and chill.

5.     To prepare compote, combine strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, and mint; toss gently. Cover and chill. Serve with lemon cloud

EASY ROASTED ASPARAGUS
 1 bunch Asparagus
 4 Tablespoons (up To 5 Tablespoons) Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After you wash the asparagus thoroughly, stack a bunch together and lop off the tough/thick bottom an inch or so. Spread out the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pat it as dry as you can, as you don’t want any water to “steam” the asparagus in the oven. Begin by generously drizzling olive oil all over the asparagus and then sprinkle the asparagus generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast the asparagus for about ten minutes. The secret here is for the oven to be very hot so the asparagus can begin to brown on the outside without overcooking and getting too flimsy. You want the finished asparagus to still have a bite to it. Enjoy!

 Spanish Salad of Oranges, Fennel, Red Onion, and Mint

 • 2 cups thinly sliced red onion (about 1 large)
 • 3 large navel oranges (about 5 pounds)
 • 3 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 pound)
 • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
 • 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
 • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
• 4 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
 • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
 • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 Place thinly sliced red onion in a medium bowl; cover with ice water, and soak 15 minutes. Drain well.  Carefully remove rind and white pithy part of rind from oranges; discard rind and pith. Cut each orange in half vertically; remove white pithy core portion, and discard. Cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, reserving about 1/3 cup juice for dressing. Layer red onion, thinly sliced fennel, and orange evenly in a bowl or on a platter, and sprinkle with fresh mint leaves. Combine reserved juice, plain fat-free yogurt, juice concentrate, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk to combine. Drizzle evenly over salad; serve immediately.

Week of April 8th (Easter Week)

With the spring and winter for that matter being so warm, I have been anxiously awaiting when we could start planting our own garden, and this past weekend we got to get started...we put in spinach, leaf lettuces, broccoli and cauliflower to start. My son, Gabriel, age 10 is all into fresh herbs, he loves to go and pick some to add to dinner at night, we already have chives and thyme that is coming up, but he wanted to expand his choices this year so we also planted some cilantro, basil and oregano. I just LOVE that by him getting to plant things of his own he is opening his palette to so many more options. It is so fun to have him help me prep dinner and I am really looking forward to just stepping outside to get the produce out of the garden this year.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Vegetable cooking spray

1 pound asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

2 cups carrots cut in lengthwise quarters

6 green onions/garlic, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 assorted medium peppers (yellow, red, green), cut into 1-inch-long strips (about 4 1/2 cups)

2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into diagonal slices (about 3 cups)

1 cup halved fresh medium mushrooms (about 3 ounces)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or fresh thyme leaves

3 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth (or Chicken Stock if you Prefer)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or long grain regular white rice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Heat the oven to 425°F. Spray a 17 x 11-inch roasting pan with the cooking spray.
• Stir the asparagus, carrots, onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, rosemary and 1/4 cup broth in the prepared pan.
• Roast for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring once during roasting. Prepare the risotto while the vegetables are roasting.
• Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepot. Add the rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and cook until it's absorbed. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until all the broth is absorbed before adding more. (Total cooking time: 25 minutes.)
• Stir in the vegetables and cheese and heat through. Serve the risotto immediately.

Broccoli & Cheese Pasta Cups

Adapted from The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups whole wheat organic pasta (uncooked)
4 eggs 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pureed cannelloni beans
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (reserve 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top)
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 cup steamed broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease the insides of a muffin pan using olive oil with a brush or paper towel.
Boil water and cook pasta according to instructions but reduce cooking time by 2 minutes.
Drain and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs for two minutes until light and fluffy.
 Add the milk, ricotta cheese and beans, mix.
Stir in the provolone cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Add the pasta, broccoli, herbs, salt and pepper.
Stir until the cheese mixture completely coats the pasta.
Pour into each cup, filling completely. Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until the cheese is bubbly on top and slightly browned.